HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250989 Rt 9 / South Broadway Special Use Permit Public Comment (3)Outlook
Online Form Submittal: Land Use Board Agenda Public Comment
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Date Fri 8/21/2026 7:55 AM
To Mark Graham <Mark.Graham@saratogaspringsny.gov>
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Land Use Board Agenda Public Comment
SUBMIT COMMENTS REGARDING CITY PROJECTS
Thank you for submitting your comments. Your feedback will be forwarded to the
City's Planning Department and Land Use Board members. NOTE: Comments
submitted later than 12:00 noon on the day before the Land Use Board meeting
may not be reviewed prior to their meeting. All comments will be added to the
project file in the Planning Department.
Land Use Board Design Review Board
Name Timothy Macherone
Email Address tmacherone@gmail.com
Business Name Field not completed.
Address 218 Grand Avenue
City Saratoga Springs
State NY
Zip Code 12866-3928
Phone Number 518-368-6682
Project Name Hemlock Woods Mixed-Use Development
Project Number 20251071
Project Address 410 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Comments Dear Members of the Planning Board,
I am writing as a longtime resident and homeowner in Saratoga
Springs to oppose the proposed development at 410 South
Broadway. I ask that the Board reject this proposal.
8/21/26, 8:01 AM Inbox - Mark Graham - Outlook
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The city has grown substantially over the past decade, which
has come at the expense of the woodlands and open spaces
that give our city character. This particular parcel abuts one of
our crown jewels -- the state park that residents and visitors
rely on for recreation, quiet, and access to nature. Developing it
not only destroys one of the few remaining wooded areas left in
the city, but it displaces wildlife. We cannot afford to keep doing
this to our animals.
Whether formally a component of it or not, this parcel is also a
clear visual representation of the city's greenbelt, which was
formed to uphold the commitment to prevent urban sprawl and
preserve natural ecosystems. Developing this parcel and
eroding an ecologically significant area is the antithesis of that
mission. It sets a precedent that the mission is negotiable
whenever a developer proposes something large enough. Each
approval makes the next incursion easier to justify.
Saratoga Springs is beginning to look like the towns people
move here to get away from. Communities like Clifton Park
illustrate what happens when open land is developed parcel by
parcel without a clear vision of what should be preserved.
Saratoga's appeal rests on the fact that it has largely avoided
that fate. Approving this project would be a clear step in the
wrong direction, and would be very difficult to reverse.
I recognize the Board has to weigh legitimate housing needs
and not every proposal can or should be rejected. But this
parcel, given its location, its ecological value, and its adjacency
to parkland, is precisely the kind of site that warrants protection
rather than development. I strongly urge the Board to deny this
proposal.
Best,
Tim
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8/21/26, 8:01 AM Inbox - Mark Graham - Outlook
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